I always believed that Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. A holiday was put in place to celebrate maternal bonds and the influence that those bonds have on who we become. However, according to historian Heather Cox Richardson, it actually started in the 1870s when women began to realize that one of the ways to protect their children and their families, was to be actively involved in decisions that would impact them.
Regardless of the founding, I think Mother’s Day is essentially a celebration of the female influences in our lives.
I have been blessed to have a life filled with women who have had a positive influence on me. Women who have loved, supported, pushed, challenged, and accepted me. Women who have shared their wisdom and demonstrated their courage. Women who have shown strength, vulnerability, and insight. Women who have led the way as well as walked beside me.
My mother, my grandmothers, my mother-in-law, my great-grandmothers. My aunts, my step-mother, my cousins, my sisters, my female friends. And my daughter. They have all brought such varied and valuable things to my life. Even those who are no longer here, I can still feel their influence and see their impact, in my life.
There is something so powerful about female relationships. We get it. We understand the complexity of the world and the varied roles that make up the tapestry of our lives. We realize the work that is invested in each of these roles and the heart and soul we pour into them.
This year our local extended family celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday at my daughter’s home. It was not only a gathering to toast mothers, but it was our monthly family dinner, as well as the inaugural party in their newly completed backyard renovation. We were a group of 18, encompassing 4 generations from 2 years old to 85 years old. We swam, played games, laughed. Fun, hugs, and food were enjoyed. Made even more sweet by the fact that these kinds of gatherings have been rare for the last two years.
Today will be a quiet, reflective day for me. I will write, read, cook, and spend time with my husband. I will spend some time out in my garden, exchange a few texts, and get some schoolwork done. I will even enjoy a Mimosa!
So, CHEERS to all the women out there! Whether you are a mother or not, you have undoubtedly impacted someone’s life.
